


Go By the Board

by MysticPirate



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Boat nerding, Fanart, Hakoda (Avatar) is a Good Parent, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, I hate tags, Inspired by Salvage - MuffinLance, Ozai (Avatar) Being a Terrible Parent, Ozai’s A+ Parenting, Ship diagrams, Southern Water Tribe, Water Tribe Zuko (Avatar), Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck, like real ships-no pairings in this fic, now with fan art, tall ship geekary, tall ships, zuko adoption
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-29
Updated: 2021-02-04
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:34:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,359
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28443261
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MysticPirate/pseuds/MysticPirate
Summary: The Cambridge Dictionary defines ‘go by the board’: to be forgotten or not used.Nautically: The board is the sides or the decking of a ship.  ‘By the board’ means an object going over the ship's side.Unwanted Items which ‘go by the board’ could also be labeled jetsam, but for this fic it’s the Prince Zuko treatment.Because it just so happens that Ozai wants his firstborn to go by the board.*Edit Feb 4, 2021: Now Complete with Akhult II diagrams! Sail plan, Haul layout, ship spec’s. It’s tall ship boat nerding because this is my life now.*
Comments: 18
Kudos: 78
Collections: Quality ATLA





	1. The Story

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MuffinLance](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MuffinLance/gifts).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I shamelessly borrowed isopups, random crew names along with the ship’s name Akhlut from MuffinLance’s Salvage. Which is why I gifted this fic to her. It in no other way has anything to do with her stories. If you haven’t yet read her stuff yet, go read 'em! you’re missing out. 
> 
> I know. Pirate. By job description I’m supposed to steal stuff. But it’s best to treat others how you yourself would like to be treated. So I asked. Of course, she said yes because she’s a wonderful individual who likes her pastries well armed and able to fight back. She is probably the ultimate champion when it comes to food fights. 
> 
> Meanwhile, enjoy the boat nerdary, with plot, ahead.

Hakoda stood at the helm of his ship. It was a patrol under the guise of a fishing expedition. There wasn’t much left of the Southern Water Tribe. And the hard decision of whether to let the tribe die slowly on the ice or die quickly by taking the fight out to their fiery destroyers on the waves was becoming a decision he wouldn’t be able to put off for much longer. 

Long weathered years at the helm had Hakoda angling the bow of the ship into the wave and off the winds just enough to keep the  _ Akhlut _ from tossing about, but not lose her momentum. Balancing La’s activity subconsciously so his mind could focus on the multitude of issues plaguing him and his people. 

It was a delicate dance between ship and ocean. Rhythmic. Meditative. Up and down. In and out. Fast and slow. A dance Hakoda had mastered years ago. Which is why this time, when La changed his tune, Hakoda didn’t just mutter the automatic prayers of good fortune to La every sailor breathed. He paused and searched deep in his soul for something more. A custom, from the soul, prayer to the one deity that has stood fast with his people. For guidance on a way to save his people and their culture. For something that could help bring this war to an end. For a way to bring lasting peace. 

A new vibration in the rudder snapped Hakoda out of his mind and back to the ship. He strained against the sudden current shift attempting to rip the tiller out of his hands. The push of the ocean against the rudder was firmly suggesting a new course. Hakoda locked eyes with Bato. He was sure the surprise in those eyes were the same as his own. 

Many sailors have prayed to the Ocean God, there were shockingly few stories of the Ocean responding.

Bato shrugged, he’d overheard his captain, his best friends, prayer and felt the ocean’s pull. It was strong enough that you didn’t have to be holding onto the tiller to feel it, the whole ship was creaking in a new way. “We've got time yet, and the village will survive even if we’re back a few days late. Besides, a direct response from La. it’d be rude to ignore Him.”

Hakoda grinned and let go, giving the ship over to La. The following seas were immediate. And as the ship settled into it’s new up n down rhythm at this faster clip, Hakoda’s stomach made its presence known. “Make sure all the men get plenty of hard tack n grog.” 

Bato nodded and went to tell their cook. 

The following seas would make for a fast time, but would wreck even the seasoned sailors' constitutions. Hakoda winced in sympathy as the first sailor ran to the leeward rail to upchuck their breakfast. Yes. Lots of salty crackers and fluids would be needed to keep his crew functioning through the waves of seasickness. 

  
  


~—•—~—•—~

  
  


“MAN OVERBOARD!”

Hakoda was up and running before the alarm bell was ringing. And he was out of his quarters located in the aft of the ship and circling the main mast taking in the sudden chaos that overtakes a ship in crisis by the time the alarm was done.

“BODY THREE BOAT LENGTHS BROAD OF THE LARBOARD BOW!” Hakoda’s head quickly snapped to the spotter at the front left side of the ship. Well spotters now. A couple other crew had joined the initial lookout who was shouting the positions of the man in the water. Good. The more eyes on a body floating in the seas, the more likely the rescue would succeed. The men were now at various positions along the larboard rail, one hand raised high overhead, the other pointing out to a shape in the water. Much like isopups pointing at mousehares burrowed deep within the snow. 

“STRIKE THE SQUARE AND HEADSAILS!” Bato, who took command of the ship a few hours ago to give Hakoda a much needed chance for some shuteye, shouted from his position on thetiller. Good. The deck crew was already hauling the clews n buntlines to get the wind out of the bellies of the square sails. And the Jib n Staysails halyards were released so that the heads of the front sails dropped to the deck. That would depower the ship while still giving Bato maneuverability with the remaining mainsail. ***1***

“HANDS TO BOAT FALLS!” Hakoda added since his second had the maneuvering of the ship well in hand. Although his seasoned crew was already working on launching one of the small boats before he gave the order. Good. 

“BODY TWO BOAT LENGTHS BROAD OF THE LARBOARD BOW!” 

Hakoda prepared to be ready to jump into the small boat once Bato slowed the  _ Akhlut  _ enough to launch her.

But within seconds the spotter was shouting again. “BODY ONE BOAT LENGTH FORWARD OF THE LARBOARD BEAM!” 

Oof, They were coming upon the body fast... 

The primary spotter was now almost amidships on the left side of the ship. Across from Hakoda who stood at the ready on the starboard, right, rail in the middle of the ship. *2*

“KOH!” Bato cursed loud enough for Hakoda to hear half way across the ship. “SHEET IN AND SCANDALIZE THE MAIN!” And every sailor knew to brace themselves for the hard pivot Bato was about to put the ship through. 

“BODY HALF A BOAT LENGTH ABEAM LARBOARD!”

“STRIKE THE MAIN! STRIKE ALL SAILS!” And every piece of wood creaked and groaned under the stress of its tiller going hard to the starboard (right) to turn the ship about and stop them in the middle of La’s domain. Not good. Hakoda’s stomach lurched into his throat as he realized Bato had just turned the ship ~in~ towards the body floating on their left side instead of ~away~... But there was nothing to do about that now except pray harder that they didn’t hit the man they were attempting to save. *3*

Hakoda hadn’t actually done many man overboard drills with his crew. An oversight he fully intended to rectify in the coming weeks. Or at least when they got back out of Fire Nation waters. Hakoda hadn’t realized La had brought them so far north… 

Although, to their credit, the crew was performing as if they did these drills all the time. Seasoned sailors were worth their weight in gold, if not more. 

But there was no more time to think about anything other than the rescue as the small boat hit the water. Hakoda along with Aake, one of their strongest crewmen, started rowing to the location the spotters along the rail were still pointing to, thank Tui and La. It would never stop unnerving Hakoda how quick it was to lose sight of a person when you were suddenly at water level. Even gentle waves obscured large objects, let alone a small human head.

They got to the man in good time, and Hakoda had to deal with mental whiplash as his eyes informed him that it wasn’t a man, but a boy. The kid was probably around his own children's ages, 11-13. Even bigger surprise was that the kid was in his own metal small boat of sorts. it was completely awash. Meaning it was somehow floating just under the surface of the water. Meaning, it was minutes away from sinking under the boy. It was a miracle they got to him in time. Aake and himself had barely gotten the boy in their own small boat when the metal craft started sinking in earnest. 

‘Which, really was the proper direction metal should go when placed in water.’ Hakoda didn’t spare any more thought to the lads boat, instead focusing on said lad shivering at his feet. Although, was that steam? 

Yep. Hakoda nearly burnt the back of his hand in trying to gage if the boy had a fever or not. 

The yelp and fast motion was enough to break Aake’s attention from snagging what supply sacks he could from the water before the sinking vessel’s undertow sucked it all to La’s underwater depths. “Firebender?” He questioned. 

Hakoda didn’t know how to answer. Actually. He felt sure the boy was. What he didn’t know was what course of action to take because of it. They were out here to kill firebenders. 

But this was just a boy. 

A half drowned, feverish boy. Even if the lad wasn’t an intentional threat, on a wooden ship, any small accidental flame could endanger the  _ Akhlut _ and her crew. Actually, as soaked in water as the wood was, the wood itself would be hard to burn. The tar holding the wood together and the ropes and the canvas sails were a completely different story however. 

But La specifically had brought them here. 

To fish a comatose Fire Nation child out of La’s depths? It just didn’t make any sense! But then, since when did spirits ever make sense. 

Dark thoughts of what puts a lad in this situation, and what his people would want to take, kept wanting to overtake Hakoda’s mind. So instead, he focused on his rudimentary first aid skills. The lads head was drowning in white cloths, they hadn’t fished him out of the ocean just to have him down in their boat. 

Removing those proved to be traumatic. For all involved going by his shaking hands and the shocked expression the normally stoic Aake wore. 

It started with Hakoda attempting to figure out the rats nest of apparent bandages that were wrapped around the lads head. 

The movement roused the lad from his comatose state. 

“Please… no… loyal citizens shouldn’t die that way...”

Into a stuporous nightmare. 

“No… please father… I’m your loyal son.”

Hakada finally managed to untangle the mess only to have his blood freeze at the lads scream when his wound was exposed to the salty air. It took both Aake and himself to pin the boy down. To keep the thrashing from tipping them all overboard and to keep salty hands away from the days old burn.

A burn that encompassed the entire upper quadrant of the left side of the boy's face. 

The struggle was short, the boy was weak, how long was he alone in that metal small boat? And screams faltered into choked sobs with the words “Father…. why…” being the last uttered before unconsciousness took the boy again. 

A burn apparently done by the lads dad. 

Hakoda couldn’t help it, he had to hurl over the side of their small boat. 

Aake wasn’t in much better shape. 

Hakoda picked up the oars and started rowing back to  _ Akhlut _ where frantic choruses of “are you hurt?” “Is everything alright?!” “What’d ya find?!” “CHIEF!!” Were bouncing back to him from the men on deck. 

The crew on deck quieted when they could finally make out the small burned figure Aake had. 

“BONES!” Hakoda bellowed up to the main deck.

“HERE CHIEF!”

“PREP THE MESS HALL!”  ***4***

No other words were spoken as they got the injured lad aboard and rushed down below. Hakoda gripped Aake’s shoulder and marched him to his cabin. He trusted the crew to take care of the small boatwithout his presence. 

Bato stood wide eyed at the tiller that was a few feet away from the below decks access to his cabin. 

“Get us home” it may have came out harsh, but Hakoda’s body language was pleading. Thankfully, he didn’t have to say anymore. Bato snapped to and started barking orders to the crew and got the ship underway. 

“PREPARE TO SET ALL SAILS! HANDS TO MAIN!”

In his cabin he left Aake standing at his desk while he headed towards his good liquor cabinet and poured each of them a large stiff drink. 

Wordlessly both men drank. Their bodies naturally leaning to remain standing upright as the ship lurched and listed under them.

Hakoda pated Aake on the shoulder. “Take as long as you need here.”

That seemed to pull the big man out of his stupor. “No thanks Chief. I’d rather be on deck working.”

“Fare enough. See you above deck.” Hakoda restowed the liquor and glasses before following his man topside. Although he doubted anyone would begrudge him if he had a second before going up. 

  
  


~—•—~—•—~

  
  


Bones, aka Healer Kustaa, was secretly glad that he wasn’t quite so adept at converting their mess hall into a healers hut. Yet. When the Chief decided to take the fight to the Fire Nation, Kustaa was sure he’d be using their covered dining space much more than he’d care for. And it was a matter of when, not if. The sacrifice his wife had made for their daughter only bought the tribe time, the Fire Nation would return as soon as they discovered the water bender had survived. 

Even though Kustaa floundered a bit in remembering which benches arranged around the two long tables in their mess hall housed his medical supplies, he still managed to have all his equipment on the fore table, and the aft table was cleared and ready to receive whatever patient the Chief had pulled out of the water. 

Bonus: He also now knew where Bato’s secret stash of sea prunes was hiding. 

Kustaa went to help the pair of young crewmen navigate the body through the narrow hatch and steep ladder that was the main access from the deck into the room. He hissed in anger at the state, and youth, of the boy and was barking orders as quickly as he noticed issues in his preliminary diagnostic. 

“I need hot fresh water! Now!” “Cut him out of these clothes!” “Grab me the burn bag! No! That’s the splinter bag! I need the big bag on the right. Yes! that’s the burn bag!” “Where’s my fresh water?” “Do we have any furs or spare clothing that’s NOT covered in salt?!”

Even as he said it, Kustaa knew it was futile. After a week on the ocean, every surface of every item would have a crusting of salt. Didn’t matter how many boxes things were stored in. Salt just permeated everything out here in La’s domain. ‘Especially sailors’ he thought dejectedly as he looked at his own salty hands and went back into the galley to wash them. Yet again. 

Dehydrated. Malnourished. Worst facial burn he’d ever witnessed on a living person. Fever, probably from that burn being infected. Hopefully the fever prevented any hypothermia from setting in… One thing at a time. Got to treat that burn.

Kustaa sighed in resignation to his fate of no sleep this night. La had delivered them a very sick boy. 

At least he had tasty snacks to get him through. 

  
  


~—•—~—•—~

  
  


When Hakoda makes it back on deck, he notices Bato had passed the helm to another seaman. All their sails were back up and the deck looked as if the ship had been put through her paces. Striking all the sails at once, performing an emergency rescue, then resetting all the sails with no time in between for clean up tended to have that effect. But every sailor was currently on deck and Hakoda wasn’t worried about the mess n tangles all the lines were in. This crew was well on their way of having all the lines down coiled. Soon all the halyards would be balintined, sheets would be flipped, and everything else coiled and hung. 

Hakoda stepped carefully around the lines littered around the deck. It only took one incident of witnessing (or experiencing) a fellow seaman getting a foot caught in a line shooting up into the rigging to make sure you kept your own feet out of the loops of rope on deck. And with his attention completely focused there, he noticed a line (the main peak halyard) that was kinking unnaturally from wear and stress. And another line (the main sheet) frayed in too many spots that it could no longer be ignored. Those would need replacing, preferably at their next resting port. Which, that was fine. Many of their stays, the standing rigging that held the mast up, needed to come down and be replaced. *5* It was a big job that they’ve been putting off ~because~ it’s a big job. But if they were going to hunt the Fire Nation, then it’d be best to make sure their ship wasn’t something they needed to worry about failing them. 

Hakoda found Bato down at their small boat. When their eyes meet, Bato motioned for him to sit with him on the deck. He had completely forgotten about the bags that were salvaged with the kid. Apparently there was three. Bato was going through one already. It looked to contain the boy's personal items. Red clothing, a green dagger, a few scrolls. One of which was open in Bato’s hands. His second had that crease between his eyebrows that meant he either couldn’t make out the high formality of the Fire Nation script, or he didn’t like what he was reading. 

Probably both Hakoda sighed and reached for one of the other bags, then blinked at the vast amount of burn salve. Curious. Hakoda grabbed the nearest sailor, “Get this to Kustaa, now!” So, someone did care about the boy enough to get him medicine, but wasn’t able, or couldn’t stay with him to make sure the treatment happened. 

Shipwreck? The lack of debris in the area made that unlikely. Even if the mother ship had sunk, there would still be cargo and other debris floating around. Mutiny? Possible, but surely the individual who got the boy away, with supplies, in the life boat would have went with him. Surely the boy wasn’t put to sea in the small boat from land. They had to be at least half a moon cycle away from the nearest island. 

Hakoda was startled out of his musings when a scroll was thrust under his nose by a very grumpy Bato. Setting the bag of rations down, when had he opened it? He took the official looking scroll from Bato. 

The flame embossed in the blood red wax that had sealed it was clearly Fire Nation, but somehow different. It took Hakoda a moment to realize it was the royal family’s customised emblem. Shocked, he started to speak only to be cut off. 

“Just read it. I think I’ve got the translation right, but want your take on it.”

Even more intrigued, Hakoda opened the scroll and began reading it. Then reread lines that just didn’t read right when you haven’t grown up in high class circles. Then triple read the parts that no human with a heart could ever imagine any possible need to commit to paper. 

“This is directly from the Fire Lord..”

“Uh huh.” Bato casually spoke like a man waiting on a child to figure out a puzzle.

“To his son...”

“Banished for high treason to Agni and the Nation.”

“He can’t be any older than Sokka!” As a father, Hakoda was outraged. There was nothing, short of murdering one of the tribe, where Hakoda would even consider kicking his kids from all of the South Pole. Even then, he’d be hard pressed if his kids had a plausible reasoning.

“Did you get to the bottom yet? He can lift the banishment and return home.”

“Which is completely absurd! The Avatar hasn’t been seen in nearly a hundred years!” Hakoda’s rage nearly destroyed the royal document. He had a good idea the lads, the prince’s, father had been the one to burn him. But to read that a lack of a will to fight was cause for banishment and a wild goose-herring chase was beyond plain bad parenting. 

Hakoda kept hearing others refer to the Fire Nation as monsters. But he’d thought they were just exaggerating, after all they were also humans who put their pants on the same way. One leg at a time. 

Now he knew the truth. They really were monsters. Or at least, being led by one. Who probably promoted those 

Bato took back the scroll to scan it again. As if it could answer his next question. “I wonder, is the prince really so terrible to warrant such a punishment? Or is he something like a white koala-sheep in a line of all black?”

The scroll didn’t have the answer. 

A too young voice, raspy from too much screaming and physical pain came from the galley hatchway a few paces from where they sat, did. 

“NO! STOP! ...Please… ~They’re loyal~ fire nation citizens! They shouldn’t be sent to slaughter like that! … FATHER!”

Hakoda and Bato shared a knowing look: white koala-sheep.

  
  


~—•—~—•—~

  
  


“Well, I now know why the saying ‘‘royal pain in the ass’ exists.” 

“I take it our royal is finally awake and coherent?” 

“Yep. He’s all ~fired~ up over being quartered in a barbarians dining hall. I think that's an ashmaker term for ship's mess. Though why they’d eat below decks is beyond me. Anyway, he’s ‘demanding an audience with the individual in charge here’. I swear, if we hadn’t had to deal with all his trauma nightmares for the past three days, he’d have already been tossed overboard.”

Hakoda rolled his eyes skyward in order to pretend to not notice how his second’s efforts in containing his snickers was failing. It was a bright, beautiful day. The sun was warming even through the bitter cold of the arctic waters. He didn’t bother to address that particular deity though. If he wasn’t going to speak to his own Gods, he sure as Koh’s Layer wasn’t going to speak to any other. Hakoda just went to his cabin to retrieve the sun child’s bag and went to meet the prince officially. 

Said prince was sitting ramrod straight in the back corner booth they converted into a makeshift bunk for the boy. Steam and indignation was rolling off him and it was only thanks to Hakoda’s well honed father sense that he noticed all the prickly anger was just to hide how scared the boy actually was. 

“I heard you were asking for me, it’s good to see you awake.” Hakoda kept his tone light and friendly. 

“You’re in charge here?” The boy couldn’t look more disbelieving of that idea if he tried. 

“I am.”

The boy wrinkled his nose, “but you’re wearing the exact same thing as all the other peasants.” 

Do not toss the boy overboard. He’s been raised in a very different culture that has no qualms about overly harsh punishments to get the youth to conform to what the lord of their society demands. “I don’t need special clothing to obtain the respect and loyalty of my men.”

That statement gave the boy pause. Now he truly looked at Hakoda, the person. The Leader. There was a little ‘huh’ of interest at the concept on the boy’s lips and a lot of the smokiness rolling off him eased. The lad somehow managed to straighten himself to look taller, then uttered with high born disdain. “Do you know who I am?” 

“I do. You’re Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation.”

“Then I demand you release me at once.”

“Very well. You’re free to go at any time. You’re not a prisoner here.”

Now Hakoda had to refrain from laughing, the boy looked like he was just slapped upside the head with an octo-trout. 

“But… then, how… why am I on your ship?!” 

“We came across you by chance floating in the ocean. You were about three minutes away from sinking into La’s depths.” Hakoda didn’t blame the boy for the shiver that ran down his spine at that thought. Drowning was unpleasant even for those of water, he could only imagine how much worse it had to be for those of fire. 

“WHY AM I ON THE OCEAN ANYWAY?” Zuko’s voice cracked and Hakoda wondered if the boy was older than they thought or if it was because of all the screaming he’d done in his sleep the past several days. “WHERE’S UNCLE? I thought he was with me…”

Hakoda really hoped the boy was referring to an Uncle on his mother’s side. He’d heard stories of the Dragon of the West and intended to stay as far away from that individual as possible. 

“That I don’t know. But odds are it has to do with this.” And Hakoda tossed the boy his banishment decree. He waited until the boy read it twice before asking, “What do you remember?”

The lad was putting on a brave face, but Hakoda settled himself down across from the boy to be better able to read him. That lone unnaturally gold eye was moments away from tears. 

“I” the boy swallowed. “I disrespected Father…I thought.” He gently shook his head. “It doesn’t matter. I disrespected Father. I ~was~ on a ship, a proper Fire Nation one. And I know Uncle was there.” Doubt crept into the half of the face visible. “At least, I’m pretty sure it was Uncle…” 

Hakoda watched the prince reread the proclamation a third time before clearing his throat and idly commenting, “I hadn’t realized the Fire Lord was such a fool.” He was gambling. The boy had been through a lot of trauma in a very short span of time. Hakoda was pretty sure he, and all the rest of the crew, had pieced together the lads' backstory from all the waking nightmares. Sound carried through a wooden ship, there was zero privacy. But Hakoda had asked the Great Spirits for a way to save his people, and he got a broken fire prince in return. If Hakoda could heal this boy, teach him the truth about this war, show him that kindness towards your people is a valid and effective ruling technique… then get him on the Fire Thrown.

Oof. Setting sail with all the able bodied men from the south and attacking the Fire Nation head on would probably be a lot easier than this task with the boy. 

Hakoda’s comment morphed the lads distant look back to one of contempt. “I’ve heard my father called many things, but never a fool.”

“As a leader of my own tribe, my greatest accomplishment would be if my son spoke up and defended men from unjust deaths where they were unable to defend themselves. A father, a leader, who punishes then disowns their own flesh and blood for doing the right thing for their people is the greatest fool of all and brings shame to his family.”

The lads Adams apple bobbed several times while he tried to form a response. Even so, it was only a weak “but…” that made it past cracked lips. It looked like it was taking everything the boy had to not break down in tears. Hakoda kinda wished he would. The boy had been through way more than any man should have to suffer. Even an enemy. He really needed a good cry. “It… but the Fire Nation is different from your backwater tribe.”

“Nations may be different, but families caring for their neighbors and supporting each other should be the same.” 

Ah, finally. The dam broke and fresh tears streamed down the prince’s face as he broke that perfect posture to curl in on himself. 

Before the boy could form an argument on, La forbid, the man, his father that had done this to him, Hakoda moved over beside him. Then continued, “You’re a refugee, not a prisoner. You’re free to go when and wherever you choose. We’ll even help you get to get there.” Hakoda strategically did NOT mention anything about the Uncle, just in case the boy only had the one. 

“Why?” Was the choked one word response.

“Because it’s the right thing to do.”

The befuddled octo-trout look was back and Hakoda’s heart wanted to break for the boy, had he truly never been treated with basic human kindness before? Well, that was changing, starting with him and the men on his ship. 

  
  


~fin?~

  
  
  
  


Author’s Notes

I’m thinking of a second chapter, but it’d just be my renderings of the tall ship  _ Akhlut _ : the sail plan and upper n lower decks layout. IF I EVER FIGURE OUT HOW TO POST PICTURES! 😖

Although I was originally going to name this fic ‘The Prayers of Fathers’ with the below summary:

“Three different fathers, three separate days, three different spirits. And for this one boy, they answered. 

“My variation on the Hakoda adopting Zuko troupe. I also get to explore putting my years of tall ship experience into writing. Let me know if it’s too technical or unfollowable.”

___/——

BUT, it was getting too long and taking forever to get to what I really wanted this fic to be about, tall ships. Write what you know eh?

That being said. Iroh’s portion is interesting and it helps fill in the gap of how Zuko got to be in a sinking small boat, alone in the middle of nowhere just days after his banishment. And it’s more boats! Steam instead of sail, but the differences could be worth my time. 

Although my plot bunnies like this scenario of Zuko getting into the Water Tribe. And while I got a lot of tall shippieness in this, I barely touched tall ship life at sea. So… I may write snippets? Probably not. There’s already a lot of good fiction out there that involves Zuko being adopted into the Water Tribe and I actually dislike writing. So *shrugs*. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Asterisk Footnotes/Tall Ship Geekery
> 
> *1* I’ve based Hakoda’s ship’s rigging (the sails) more off the tall ship Friends Goodwill or Hawke, than of what we see in the show. I did look up the ships from the show. It’s why I went with the one masted Cutter design opposed to a two or more masted schooner vessel. I was originally going to use Atyla’s two masted schooner with squares design. The show used a (bad) variation of a cutters rigging on the base of a viking longboat. Which, okay. Fine. It isn’t overly terrible, but as a sailor I don’t like it. Also, I wanted more ship, belowdecks. (I took my references from schooners such as Harvey Gamage and Hindu), a basic galley and mess, with some aft cabins, than what a viking longboat would have, which is none. While I didn’t get to live/sail on Draken Harald Hårfagre, I toured the ship and talked with many of her crew. There was no below deck, only storage for backpacks and rations and a chest high head (toilet) compartment to jump into after lifting the deck planks up. The crew worked, ate, slept on deck in the elements. I’m surprised they still had fingers n toes after their North Atlantic crossing in the spring of 2016. I also wanted a more balanced rigging. The cartoon is horribly unbalanced, too much canvas in the back. So, more headsails on the front would help and it’s just good sense to have a square (a sail that is square with the ship opposed to sails that are in line with the ship) when crossing oceans or wanting to traverse any long distance in a straight line where you can rely on a good trade wind. Also that little square of a sail the show arted at the back of the ships. No. Just no. That thing is a hazard to the crew with very little maneuverability gain. Yes sailing ships do work best with a small fore to aft sail there, it acts as a wind rudder and helps immensely in balance and steering. But it needs to be better grounded to the ship with a mast. Not flying on ropes like a flying gaff or fisherman’s sail as was arted. Those things are typically at the top of the masts as far from the deck as possible for a reason. So. Yeah. I did the creative license thing. Although I did keep the tiller instead of fitting the boat with a steering wheel. I’m kinda hoping to get into that technology in my other fic, Cycle After Cycle. The boat I plan to eventually get to in that story is going to be based off the Kalmar Nyckel, which is the ship I’ve lived aboard the longest in my marine career so far. Whipstaffs! Woot!
> 
> And yes. Living and working on ‘pirate ships’ can be a modern day career choice. Tall Ships America is a great resource if you’re in the United States. That is, if the Tall Ship industry survives the pandemic. 😢 
> 
> *2* so with the shape of the haul being pointed at the back end, no way a small boat can be launched from the back. Has to be done from the middle. And it’s just good sense to have it on the starboard, aka non port (larboard) docking side. 
> 
> *3* steering with a tiller is very different from a ships wheel. A tiller is directly attached to the rudder. So push right (starboard), rudder n ship goes left (larboard). And yes. I went with the older term larboard opposed to the modern word port. 
> 
> *4* Mess hall is the space belowdecks where crew can gather and eat. It’s also where ship doctors would tend to the wounded. I’ve yet to hear of a wooden tall ship having an actual infirmary. The tables in the mess hall were always big enough to substitute as makeshift operating tables. This is why sailors always remove their covers (hats), when they’re in the mess hall. To pay their respects to any sailor who may have lost their life in that room. On a tall ship like Akhlut the crew would’ve always eaten on deck if the morbidness of eating at a table where another man at another time may have bled out bothers you.
> 
> *5* Ropes/Lines were not just installed in one place on a ship like this then discarded. They had their own special career path. The newest and best lines would get parceled and used for the standing rigging. Parceling is a whole process of wrapping the line in old canvas/cloth and wrapping again with small hemp string to make the rope tough and inflexible. Standing rigging is any rope that doesn't need to move to control a sail: Fore stay, back stays and shrouds. They hold up the mast/s.  
> Once a line wasn’t capable of doing that job anymore, it was downgraded to running rigging. The lines that control the sails: halyards, sheets, clews, tacks ect. All that protective canvas and wrappings would be removed so that the rope would be flexible again.  
> Once the rope couldn’t be used in running rigging it would be kept for any other of the hundred uses a ship has for line. Rope ladders. heaving lines.  
> Until eventually you get to a rope that isn’t holding together at all and even those bits were used to stuff pillows, or start the galley stove fire, or get repurposed into baggywrinkles.


	2. The Ship!

  


Watercolor painting I just finished of my rendition of the Water Tribe ship design. I like it. I’ve much to learn of water color painting however.

So, I feel like I should post the Water Tribe tall ships we see in the show.

There it is, (borrowed from Tumbler) in all it's WTF glory. Back when the show aired, (before I knew anything about tall ships and sailing), I thought these were cool. Now I know too much, these are not functional. With all the sail canvas in the back, turning this under sail is impossible. 

With the rudder attached to the tiller in the middle of a pointy back like that, it has no steering range, maybe 10 degree range when you need _at least_ 45 degree range, 60 is probably ideal. More than that is always going to be better. So this is why I kept the rudder/tiller on the side of the ship in my rendering. It's got close to a 150 degree range, plus room so three to four men could lay onto that thing and really muscle the ship into the direction they want against the ocean and wind's might.

The front sail is lower than the ships railings, that hamstrings it's range which again, diminishes it's functionality. If it was above the rail, it would probably make the ship tunable. Although, turning would still be hard.

The triangle sail in the back, I have no idea what that's about. It's actually joined with the main sail, in theory just making the main sail larger. BUT you wouldn't want that, you need the little sail at the very back separate to help with steering and maneuverability. Again, they way the show has it drawn, it's hampering/hamstringing the ships maneuverability. Unless this is the ship's designer's way of ensuring the person steering the ship doesn't fall asleep, because that thing is a major safety hazard and the people/person's (Yes, heavy sea's would require more than one person) at the tiller would have to keep focused on it in order to not loose their heads. (And I mean that literally.) Which is also bad because you'd really want them paying attention to where the ships going... Not that the driver can see straight ahead anyway thanks to the giant ass front end, which actually isn't the issue you may think it is. It's quite common to not be able to see straight ahead when steering a boat. That's why there are lookouts up front.

This is what I love about Tall Ships, it's a team effort. Every job is important. You really have to trust and depend on everyone, one weak link and the ship fails. 

I've talked a lot about what I don't like, and I didn't even get into the fact there's no way that mast would stay upright with so few lines supporting it. There are actually some things I do like.

The bundled cloth on the side of the rail, that's a tent to protect the crew from weather and the elements. As I ranted in the first chapters end notes, boats this haul is based off wouldn't have a below decks. Crew would eat, sleep, work all on deck. 

The light at the front of the ship. It wouldn't help them see at night, BUT it does help others to see them. Which is vital for avoiding night time collisions. Of course, it only works if every ship has lights on, and in this instance, this ship is only visible to other boats at night if they are coming straight at them or beside them. And other boats would have no way of knowing which way this ship is facing in the dark, so I guess it's not as good as I thought. There's a reason why ships have at minimum three lights. A white light in the back, and two in the far front. Red for left port side, green for right starboard side. This allows other ships in the night to see the boat and be able to tell which direction it's going.

I also like the way the keel is shaped at the front. It's _~almost~_ a ramming beak. meaning if the ship could get up the speed, they could ram an enemy ship and put a hole in it's side. Unfortunately, it's too high above the waterline to be an effect ship sinking tool.

OKAY. So my list of what I like is more of a list of things that _~almost~_ work... I tried.

Moving on.

Thanks to MuffinLance's story [Salvage](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21116591/chapters/50249441), it got me thinking about real working tall ships in the AtLA world. Which inspired me to actually create a real world functional Water Tribe Tall Ship. (I'm kinda hoping the producers redoing AtLA on Netflix stumbles across this. It'd be amazing if the show cared enough about the sailing aspects to get it _'mostly/somewhat'_ right. Although the Water Tribe ships have such little presence in the show, I doubt they would even if by some miracle they did.)

I've named it Akhlut II in honor of her fic.

I should probably play with the front end more, give it more of that raised look we have from the show. But, I need to get on with other things in my life. Like getting my little red book (my maritime credentials), getting my AB (Able Body) Seaman's license, perhaps even getting a captain's license. I have the sea time for most all those things. I also need to be applying to boats to get a summer job sailing...

But anywho!

Here's the same image with things labeled! If you're still with me at this point, I know you've been waiting for this one.

Interesting fact. This ship cannot sail with all seven sails set. Physics just won't allow it. As drawn, the fore to aft sails (Main Sail and Gaff Sail) would steal the wind from the squares (Main Course and Raffee). So why would the boat have them? Few reasons actually. Back up ways to move in the water are always a good thing. If the ship has two ways to sail, then it's harder for them to get stuck if a storm, or battle, takes out a couple sheets of canvas. 

The different sails function differently in different winds. In an area with shifty winds? Fore to aft sails are better equipped to respond quickly. Got a good strong steady wind behind you and you need to go straight with the wind? The square sails are much more efficient.

So the Gaff Sail and the Raffee could never be set at the same time. 

Technically, the Main Sail and the Main Course shouldn't be able to be set together either. BUT. I think it would be possible to rig the Main Sail so it's more of a triangle shape opposed to the trapezoid shape, that would allow the air to fill the Course to be functional.

Now below decks.

Here's the tech drawing without the Boards (side planking of the ship) so you can see the compartments hidden in the haul, and without the sails to help ID the standing rigging lines. Standing rigging is important. It's literately all that's holding up that mast. Masts are not attached to the bottom of ship.

And plan drawings from above so you can see what is where on each deck. 

I have to admit, this ship is about 20ft longer than I initially wanted. I didn't change it because it's still well within the real of possibility. And it made everything roomy enough to be comfortable. It's still small. the Captain's Cabin is around 7"x7". The Galley/Mess is about 15' x 11'.

It was also convenient that this ship's tech is before steering wheels. That means no below deck head (toilet). That means no black or grey water holding tanks. Fresh water would be in barrels. There's no engine. No modern day safety equipment/gear. And thanks to benders, gunpowder powering cannon's isn't common.

So! Is there anything I should elaborate on? Questions?

I got to stop re-reading this chapter, I keep finding things I want to blab on about! 

If I can find the time I really want to do the pin rail diagram, that's the running rigging, that's how sailor's control the sails/ship. It's boat geeking notched up to the highest degree. Well. BUILDING this ship would be the ultimate AtLA Boat Nerding. But I don't have the millions of dollars that would take. I'm a poor sailor. 


End file.
